Process of making aluminum and copper alloys.



. practically impossibleto procure a compos- It may be'stated as a general'- reposition which bility .sultin this difliculty and produces a composite, metal ity to any required extent within reasonable compounding -othermetals .which we term for convenience the metal or metals withv which it was comboth in color andweight, and also the harder UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH GRENVILLE MELLEN AND WILLIAM FRANCIS MELLEN, OF BRIDG-EPORT, CONNECTICUT. I

No Drawing.

Specification of letters P atent.

Patented Jan. 1'? 1911.

Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial no. 54s77s.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrrr GRENVILLE MELLEN and WILLIAM- F. MELLEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Processes of Making Aluminum and Copper Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful process of compounding aluminum with other. metals either precious or basic, and has for its object to produce a composite metal or alloy consisting primarily of aluminum and copper, iron, silver, nickel or any of the other metals, one or more of them,

shall possess thequalities of malleaarid ductility to a degree that it has been heretofore impossible to produce in composite metals containing aluminum.

It is, of course well understood by those familiar with the metallurgical art that while it would be extremely desirable to utilize the color and lightnessof aluminum in composite metals 01'' alloys requiring malleability vand ductility it has been found ite metal containing an appreciable quantity of aluminum and having these qualities to the desired extent. We have found that this lack of malleability and ductility in composite metals containing aluminum is due to the lack of thoroughness'in compounding the two or more metals and the consequent lack of homogeneity in the realloy. .Our novel process overcomes having its specific gravity lessened to a. greater or less extent and its color modified y the presence of aluminum and also having the qualities of malleability and ductillimits. fi

With these and other objects in View we have made numerous experiments in the of aluminum with various the foundation metal, greatly varying the proportions of aluminum depending upon pounded and the relative degree of malleability or ductility required for various uses.

that the greater the proportion 0 aluminum used the lighter will be the composite metal and less malleable and ductile: By decreasing the proportion of aluminum the composite metal will be rendered heavier and usually darker in color but more malleable and ductile.

In carrying out our novel process the foundation metal weighed to the proportions desired isplaced in a potand melted. Afterthe temperatureof the metal has been raised above the melting point, a suitable quantity of,aluminum is addedthereto. As soon as. the aluminum is melted a suitable oxidizing agent, for example, potassium bichromate preferably powdered, and a suitable flux, for example, borax, are added in the proportions approximately of one;half pound of potassium bichromate and one-quarter pound of borax to one hundred pounds of metal. The mixed chemicals are now seen to melt and boil "furiously, then gradually the boiling ceases and a crust forms upon the surface of the molten mass. This crust immediately upon forminglis broken with a stirrer and the whole mass is stirred. The. remnants of the chemigals are volatilized and pass off through the flue, but should a small amount of the chemicals remain it can be easily skimmed off. Upon breaking the crust. it

will be found that the temperature of the molten metal has risen greatly. In this state of great molecular activity caused by the union of the aluminum with oxygen liberated by the potassium bichromate the whole mass becomes thoroughly homogeneous and a true union of the aluminum and vother metal or metals results, the union of 'oxygen with the aluminum producing atomic as wellas molecular-activity. The action of the borax is to dissolve the oxlds as fast as they are formed. In this manner the full benefit of the oxygen is utilized and the presence of objectionable oxids is prevented. In the compounding of aluminum w1th copper, if preferred .the'aluminum may be melted separately .from the copper and poured into the molten copperafter the addition of the chemicals. If thepotasslum bichromate or otheroxidizing agent and the flux areadded before the aluminum, the resulting composite metalwill be harder, will more nearly resemble gold and will betterr stand nitric acid. If the potassium bichromate or other oxidizing agent and the flux" are added-after the aluminum, the resulting composite metal will be more'malleable and lot - of other metals either singly or collectively.

I the addition of silicon to the molten metal excellent results followloyadding carbon in ductile. After the crust is broken up and the molten /metal stirred its temperature quickly returns to the normal temperature within the furnace. At this stage of the process phosphorous, magnesium or other kindred deoxidizing agents may or may not be added. We have found in practice that any convenient fiorm, preferably powdered charcoal. This prevents oxidationof the molten metal from contact with the air. The pot containing the molten metal is now lifted from thefurnace, the charcoal or' other form of carbon used is skimmed off and a few ounces of ammonium chlorid may be added. The use of ammonium chlorid is not an essential feature of the invention, but we have found in practice that it increases the fluidity Ofthemetal.

Before'pouring, the quality of the composite metal may be varied by the addition num to produce a thorough greatly improves the sharpness of the castings and'renders them less liable to corrosion in use.

Having thus described our invention we claim: "1;

1. The proc raising the temperature of the foundation metal above the melting point, then adding aluminum, and then adding an oxidizing agent and a flux. I

2. The process of compounding aluminum l with foundation metals which consists in raising the temperature" of the foundationl es of compounding aluminum l with foundation metals whlch consists 111 metal above the melting point, then adding aluminum, then adding an oxidizing agent and a flux and then skimming and stirring. 3. The process of compounding aluminum with foundation metals which consists in' Iraising thetemperature of the foundationmetal above the'melting point, then adding aluminum, then adding amixture of potassium bichromate and borax and then skimming andstirring.

4. The process of compounding aluminum with foundation metals which consists in raising the temperature of the foundation metal above the melting point, then adding aluminum, then adding an oxidizing agent and a flux, then skimming and stirring and then adding a deoxidizing agent.

I 5. The process of compounding aluminum with foundation metals which consists in raising the temperature of the foundation metal above themelting point, then adding aluminum,.then adding an oxidizing agent and a flux, then stirring and skimming, then adding a deoxidizing agent and then adding ammonium chlorid.

6. The process of, compounding aluminum with molten metals which consists in utilizing the union of oxygen with molten aluminum to produce a thorough compounding of the aluminum with the other metal and then adding a deoxidizing agent. 7 The process of compounding aluminum with molten metals which consists in utilizing the union of oxygen with molten alumi- Compounding of the aluminum with the other metal and thenadding ammonium chlorid and a deoxidizing agent. Y

8. The process of compounding aluminum with foundation metals which consists in melting the foundation metal, then adding aluminum thereto and when the aluminum is melted adding an oxidizing agent and a flux.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa-v tures in presence of two witnesses.

-" JOSEPH GRENVILLE MELLEN.

WILLIAM FRANCIS MELLEN.

Witnessesz' A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHnR'roN. 

